Archive for December, 2011

As a Golden Retriver Owner, This Made Me Smile

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

At over three and a half million hits since December 22, I’m obviously not the only one.

Happy New Year, everyone!

A Winter’s Day in a Deep and Dark December

Friday, December 30th, 2011

Well, not so much. It’s 72° here in Austin right now. But this was running through my head, so I thought I would share.

Too bad it cuts off at the end. I prefer the guitar part on the studio version, but Art’s voice is quite lovely here.

Boxing Day: Nils Lofgren’s “No Mercy”

Monday, December 26th, 2011

For this year’s Boxing Day, here’s two live versions of Nils Lofgren’s “No Mercy,” one acoustic, one electric:

What do you mean I’m doing it wrong?

Shoegazer Sunday: Laboratory Noise’s “Things That Fall From The Sky”

Sunday, December 25th, 2011

Since the band themselves were kind enough to comment when I posted their previous song, I’m happy to give them more exposure for “Things That Fall From The Sky” (another one off their debut album When Sound Generates Light), especially since it’s rather good.

And there are few Shoegazer songs that don’t benefit from a pretty, whispy-voiced female lead singer, which Kerry Ramsay (if I have the name right) provides here. She sounds a bit like Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell (always a good thing), with maybe a touch of Alison Shaw from Cranes.

A Christmas Story, in 30 Seconds, With Bunnies

Saturday, December 24th, 2011

Pretty much self-explanatory.

Thanks, Angry Alien!

And a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Austin: Christmas on 37th Street

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

It’s that time of year. If you haven’t been to the Austin’s 37th Street display of lights, this video from illustrator Doug Potter gives you an idea of what it’s like.

Merry Christmas!

Recipe for Frustration

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

1. Have flat wheelbarrow wheel.
2. Buy solid, never-go-flat replacement wheel.
3. Unscrew bolts holding on flat wheel.
4. Wrench flat wheel off axle with difficulty.
5. Be unable to remove rotatory cuff for old wheel that has fused to axle, and thus be unable to replace old wheel with new wheel, which has its own rotatory cuff.
6. Just when the trees finally decide to shed their leaves.
7. Be unable to find a suitable replacement axle anywhere online.

Shoegazer Sunday: Laboratory Noise’s “Here, She Is Evergreen”

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

Today’s dollop of Shoegaze goodness comes from Laboratory Noise. Love the band name. The YouTube description says they hail from Manchester, the birthplace of classic Shoegaze, but their bio says they hail from nearby Bradford instead.

Their debut album, When Sound Generates Light, is available through Amazon.

Finally, a Christmas Film I Can Get Behind

Friday, December 16th, 2011

A Very Calvin & Hobbes Christmas

A Few Recent Book Aquistions of Interest

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

The book buying continues apace here at Stately Person Manor. I plan to have a comprehensive roundup of every damn thing I bought toward the end of the year (which is nigh), but here are a few particularly interesting, obscure, and/or lustworthy books I’ve picked up since Worldcon (a;; pics enbiggenable):

  • Graham, H. E. The Battle of Dora. William Clowes & Sons, Ltd. 1931. First edition hardback, a Very Good copy in a Good+ dust jacket with three 1/4″ chips at edges. Future war book set in an imaginary European country concerned with primarily with the evolving tactics of mechanized warfare. With fold-out maps!

  • Howard, Robert E. The Coming of Conan. Gnome Press, 1953. First edition hardback, a Near Fine+ copy with slight bends at head and heel and slight foxing to strip along front and back gutters, in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight dust staining to white rear cover and a few touches of rubbing to spine panel (but no spine fading). This completes my Robert E. Howard Gnome Press Conan collection. (At some point I suppose I’ll pick up the De Camp and Nyburg volume but, eh. what’s the rush?)

  • Oliver, Chad. Another Kind. Ballantine Books, no date (1955). First edition hardback (an unrecorded variant binding of green boards with red lettering), a Near Fine copy with slight age-darkening to page (most noticeable in one signature) and slight bending at head and heel in a Near Fine dust jacket with slight age darkening and touches of wear at extremities. Actually quite nice. All of the Ballantine SF hardbacks if this era are hard to find.